Beck putting finishing touches on new album for release

“I’m not sure if I’m going to put out 12″s or put the songs on my website,” Beck said, adding that he’s aiming to wrap recording this summer. “It’s just a matter of the songs being good enough and not embarrassing.” Beck says he started work on the album immediately after the release of Modern Guilt, but in the time that’s passed, “five other bands may have done something that felt really exciting and new two years ago. Like, the title of the record was going to be Rococo and now Arcade Fire have a song called ‘Rococo.’ “

Beck also revealed he’s spent time in the studio with Stephen Malkmus recording songs for the Pavement frontman’s upcoming disc. “Within the first two days we had 90 percent of the album recorded. We just put it down live. I just talked to Steve, actually. We’re going to finish it up when he’s done touring,” Beck said.

Until Beck unleashes new music — he says he hopes to have at least a song out by summer’s end — fans can grab the Scott Pilgrim deluxe edition off iTunes to hear Beck’s own versions of the short punk anthems he wrote for Sex-Bom-Omb, including the single “Summertime.”